This is a bright and flavorful cold noodle salad your whole family will love! Great on its own or paired with a meat for a complete meal. It’s also the perfect dish for a summer potluck picnic.
Meet my Cold Asian Noodle Salad. Hands down, it’s a favorite of mine. I crave it a lot with the summer heat. It is easy to make, it’s full of bright seasonal veggies, and it’s unbelievably flavorful!
It starts with some perfectly cooked al dente linguine that has been cooled to room temperature. Then, I just pile on tons of fresh chopped and sliced veggies full of crunch and color. The pics just say it all.
I’m already oogling over the beauty of this pasta and veggie bowl. But there’s more. The dressing. Oh, the dressing!
My Asian dressing adds tons of punch to this crisp and vibrant bowl! Soy sauce and olive oil and then…brown sugar! Fresh squeezed lime juice!
Sesame oil!
Fresh minced garlic, jalapeño, and ginger! Bring it on!!!
Shaken up and combined to perfection! Yep!
Poured all over that happy meal and given a light toss.
Mouth. Is. Watering.
Wait! I’m not done!
I top it with toasted sesame seeds and fresh chopped cilantro!Isn’t it pretty?
Our favorite way to devour this dish, though, is to indulge in some totally fresh quality and from the specialty market, sushi-grade Ahi Tuna.
Using my sharpest knife, I cut this deep-red lean tuna into bite size slices.
And serve it like this.
I add a little avocado too for some creaminess.
With all the yummy Asian flavored juices that settle to the bottom of the bowl, the tuna can be dipped in it and we have ourselves a refreshing and clean dinner.
I can make this ahead of time and enjoy this for a lunch or dinner. This even makes a nice potlock dish for a picnic or party. Everyone in the crowd will love it!
Not a fan of Ahi Tuna? This salad pairs perfectly with grilled shrimp, chicken, or beef. Try using the reserved dressing as a marinade and you’ll be thrilled you did!
This isn’t the first time I threw so many fresh colors in a bowl. Try my Coconut Confetti Rice Salad with Ginger Peanut Sauce for another tasty meal.
Do you have a favorite summer pasta salad?

- 1/3 cup soy sauce I prefer low sodium
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 limes juiced
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 4 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 2-3 jalapeños minced (keep seeds if you want more heat)
- 4 garlic clovers minced
- 1 pound al dente linguini room temperature
- 1 package of pea shoots
- 1 red yellow and orange bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 2 cups snow peas cut in half lengthwise
- 1 English cucumber seeds scooped out and cut into thin slices
- 1/2 a head of purple cabbage thinly sliced
- 1 bunch scallions green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1 small head or 1/2 head of Napa cabbage thinly sliced
- 2 bunches cilantro roughly chopped
- 2-3 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
- fresh quality sushi-grade Ahi Tuna sliced into small pieces, optional
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In a mason jar or small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Give it a good stir to combine the brown sugar. Give it a good shake too. Set aside.
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In a very large bowl, toss together all of the linguini with the vegetables.
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Add 1/2-3/4 of the dressing and gently toss to combine. Add more dressing if desired or reserve for later or as a marinade for a meat.
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Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro.
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Serve on its own or add a meat for a complete meal.
Store leftovers in a covered container for up to three days in the refrigerator.
Try adding any fresh vegetables you like. I like to add spinach when I enjoy this as my main meal.
I love fresh fish! Thanks for the recipe. this looks so healthy as well.
This looks amazing!!! I cannot wait to try this recipe! Ahi tuna is my absolute fav, thanks for sharing this!
Yay! Hope you love it as much as we do!
My husband usually takes his lunch to work everyday. He doesn’t have access to a microwave so I’ve been trying out new recipes that can be eaten cold. He loves noodle dishes so I will have to try this for him!
Perfect! It’s holds up well in the fridge for a few days so this will be great for him. Enjoy!
Oh this sounds amazing. My husband loves noodle salads and I love all of the extra stuff that you added. And the avocado….yes! Avocado makes everything better!
I’m with you!
Oh YUM! I think I might just have to make this for lunch today!!
I love noodle salads and love all the veggies in this one, especially with the addition of tuna!
This looks so amazing and so healthy! I’d love to try this sometime!
I love tuna and this looks so amazing! I need to make it asap!
Lauren
http://www.basicbabelauren.com
This isn’t usually something I’d want to eat just by the name of it but it looks AMAZING. I definitely want to try it.
I hope you do try it and you love it! Thanks for your comment!!!
I love cold asian noodle salads! This recipe sounds delicious, especially the dressing!
Thanks, Kristine!
Ooooo this looks so so good! I’ve never cooked with ahi tuna before. Definitely going to have to try this!
As long as you get it fresh from a reputable market, it is so unbelievable! Enjoy!
This looks great! It’s one of my favorite salads when I go out now I can try it at home!!
Thanks, Darcy!
This looks so, so,so,so good! *drooling on my Mac* I definitely have to make this ASAP! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!!! *drooling some more*
Funny, Andrea! And it makes me drool too!
Now this is something I’ve never tried before! First time for everything. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I hope you try it and love it like I do!
Loving the play on the sweet and spicy sauce. I practically survive off sushi, so the raw ahi tuna in this seriously sounds so good.
Thanks! I could eat sushi all the time too so this dinner is an all-star one for me!
Yummy! This looks so fresh and vibrant!
Thanks, Jenna! I love a cold dinner on a hot summer night!
Oh gosh this looks absolutely amazing!!! I’ll have to try and make this the next time I have a sushi night at the house! ♥
Thanks, Trish! I crave this all the time!